Bump detection and effect reduction in autonomous systems

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, a control system for a base station includes a first transceiver configured to receive a first signal and send a second signal to an agricultural vehicle. The first signal indicates at least an acceleration of the vehicle, a current velocity of the vehicle, and a location relative to a terrain where the vehicle experienced the acceleration, and the second signal indicates a vehicle target velocity. The control system includes a controller configured to determine a bump severity value based on the acceleration and the current velocity of the vehicle, mark an area indicative of the bump on a map of the terrain when the bump severity value exceeds a threshold, and automatically generate the second signal when the vehicle enters the area. The target velocity is based on a proximity of the vehicle to the bump, the bump severity value, or some combination thereof.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/160,366, entitled “BUMP DETECTIONAND EFFECT REDUCTION IN AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS,” filed May 12, 2015, whichis hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates generally to autonomous agriculturalsystems, and more specifically, to systems and methods for detectingbumps and reducing their effects on autonomous agricultural vehicles.

Some terrains (e.g., fields) may develop ruts from runoff water overtime. In particular, it is not uncommon for ruts to form on fieldslocated on the side of a hill due to drainage. Additionally, there maybe other obstacles (e.g., rocks) and/or adverse conditions (e.g., softsoil) present in some fields. These ruts, obstacles, and/or adverseconditions may be difficult to detect with sensors due to crops growingabove and covering the ruts, obstacles, and/or adverse conditions. Assuch, base stations controlling autonomous agricultural vehicles workingthe fields may not have knowledge of the existence of the ruts,obstacles, and/or adverse conditions and may instruct the autonomousagricultural vehicle to drive at normal operating velocities throughthem. In some instances, driving the autonomous agricultural vehiclethrough the ruts, obstacles, and/or adverse conditions may lead toundesired conditions of the vehicle and/or a loss of control of thevehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the present disclosureare summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit thescope of the disclosure, but rather these embodiments are intended onlyto provide a brief summary of possible forms of the disclosure. Indeed,the disclosure may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar toor different from the embodiments set forth below.

In one embodiment, a control system for a base station includes a firsttransceiver configured to receive a first signal from a secondtransceiver of an agricultural vehicle and to send a second signal tothe second transceiver. The first signal is indicative of at least anacceleration of the agricultural vehicle, a current velocity of theagricultural vehicle, and a location relative to a terrain of theagricultural vehicle where the agricultural vehicle experienced theacceleration, and the second signal is indicative of at least a targetvelocity for the agricultural vehicle. The control system also includesa first controller communicatively coupled to the first transceiver. Thefirst controller is configured to determine a bump severity value basedat least in part on the acceleration and the current velocity of theagricultural vehicle, mark an area indicative of the bump on a map ofthe terrain when the bump severity value exceeds a threshold bumpseverity value at the location where the agricultural vehicleexperienced the acceleration, and automatically generate the secondsignal when the agricultural vehicle enters the area on the map, whereinthe target velocity is based at least in part on a proximity of theagricultural vehicle to the bump, the bump severity value, or somecombination thereof.

In one embodiment, a method for controlling an agricultural vehicleincludes accessing, using a processor, a threshold bump severity valueproportional to a velocity of an agricultural vehicle, receiving, at theprocessor, data indicative of a bump in a terrain from one or moresensors coupled to the agricultural vehicle, determining, using theprocessor, a bump severity value based on the data, marking, using theprocessor, an area indicative of the bump on a map of the terrain whenthe bump severity value exceeds the threshold bump severity value,monitoring, using the processor, a location of the agricultural vehiclerelative to the terrain on the map based on data indicative of thelocation received from the one or more sensors, and automaticallygenerating a signal, using the processor, that instructs theagricultural vehicle to modify its velocity based at least in part onthe location of the agricultural vehicle relative to the area, the bumpseverity value, or some combination thereof.

In one embodiment, an autonomous agricultural system includes anagricultural vehicle. The agricultural vehicle includes a firsttransceiver configured to send a first signal to a second transceiver ofa base station and to receive a second signal from the secondtransceiver of the base station. The first signal is indicative of atleast an acceleration of the agricultural vehicle, a current velocity ofthe agricultural vehicle, and a location, relative to a terrain, of theagricultural vehicle where the agricultural vehicle experienced theacceleration, and the second signal is indicative of at least a targetvelocity or a route for the agricultural vehicle. The agriculturalvehicle also includes a first controller communicatively coupled to thefirst transceiver. The first controller is configured to automaticallycontrol the agricultural vehicle based at least in part on the secondsignal by instructing an automated steering control system and anautomated speed control system to direct the agricultural vehicleaccording to the target velocity or the route. The agricultural vehiclealso includes a sensor communicatively coupled to the first controller.The sensor is configured to detect the acceleration. The agriculturalvehicle also includes a spatial locating device communicatively coupledto the first controller. The spatial locating device is configured toobtain data indicative of the location and the current velocity of theagricultural vehicle. The base station includes the second transceiverconfigured to receive the first signal and send the second signal and asecond controller communicatively coupled to the second transceiver. Thesecond controller is configured to determine a bump severity value basedon the acceleration and the current velocity of the agriculturalvehicle, and to identify an area indicative of the bump within theterrain when the bump severity value exceeds a bump value threshold atthe location, relative to the terrain, where the agricultural vehicleexperienced the acceleration, and automatically generate the secondsignal indicative of at least the target velocity or the route when theagricultural vehicle enters the area. The target velocity is based on aproximity to the bump, a severity of the bump, or some combinationthereof.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a two-dimensional (2D) map of a terrainincluding an initial marked area indicating one or more bumps detectedby an autonomous agricultural vehicle;

FIG. 2 is an embodiment of the 2D map of FIG. 1 including an expandedmarked area indicating bumps detected by the autonomous agriculturalvehicle as it traverses the terrain;

FIG. 3 is an embodiment of a heat map of a terrain including markedareas representing a rut generated based on bumps detected by theautonomous agricultural vehicle and color-coded based on bump severity.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a three-dimensional (3D) model of a terrainincluding a rut generated based on bumps detected by the autonomousagricultural vehicle;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an autonomous systemincluding an autonomous agricultural vehicle and a base station;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process suitable formarking detected bumps on a map and modifying the velocity of anautonomous agricultural vehicle based at least in part on proximity tothe bumps, current velocity of the autonomous agricultural vehicle,and/or severity of the bumps;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process suitable formarking the locations of bumps on a map based on whether a bump severityvalue is larger than a threshold bump severity value; and

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process suitable formodifying the velocity of an autonomous agricultural vehicle based atleast on proximity of the autonomous agricultural vehicle to the bumps,a current velocity of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, and/or theseverity of the bumps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not bedescribed in the specification. It should be appreciated that in thedevelopment of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering ordesign project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be madeto achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of thisdisclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended tomean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements. As maybe appreciated, “autonomous” agricultural vehicle may refer thevehicle's ability to operate independently of human input.

Operating an autonomous agricultural vehicle (referred to as “vehicle”herein), such as tractors, seeders, harvesters, implements, and thelike, in terrains (e.g., fields) with undetected ruts and/or obstacles(e.g., rocks, soft soil) may lead to undesired maintenance conditions ofthe vehicle and/or a loss of control of the vehicle. There exists a needfor an autonomous system that is configured to detect and keep track ofthe ruts and/or obstacles so the operation (e.g., velocity and/ordirection) of the vehicle can be modified to reduce the effects of theruts and/or obstacles.

Accordingly, the present disclosure relates to an autonomous system thatmay be used to detect bumps, mark the locations of the bumps on a map,and/or modify the velocity and/or direction of a vehicle based on atleast the proximity of the vehicle to the bumps, the current velocity ofthe vehicle, and/or the severity of the bumps. To achieve this, thevehicle may detect bumps in a terrain as the vehicle traverses theterrain and send signals indicative of the bumps to a base stationcontrolling the vehicle. The base station may include a controller thatmaintains (e.g., updates and/or stores) a map of the terrain beingworked by the vehicle, and the controller may mark an area on the mapwhere the signals indicate bumps were detected. In some embodiments, theautonomous vehicle and the base station may have a client-server typerelationship, where the autonomous vehicle is the client and the basestation is the server. For example, the autonomous vehicle clientcontroller may send signals indicative of the bumps to the base stationserver controller, which generates the map. In some embodiments, thebase station may control numerous autonomous vehicles working in thesame field and may forward the map to all of the vehicles or control allof the vehicles using the map depending on where the vehicles are in thefield. To that end, the base station may receive data indicative ofbumps from all of the autonomous vehicles in the field and update themap based on all of the data as the vehicles traverse the field.

In some embodiments, the map may be represented by any suitablevisualization, such as a two-dimensional (2D) map, a heat map (e.g.,topographical), a three-dimensional (3D) model, and so forth. When thevehicle approaches the marked areas on the map, the base station mayinstruct the vehicle to slow down so that if the bump (e.g., rut and/orother obstacle) is hit again, it is done at a much slower velocity toinhibit undesirable maintenance conditions of the vehicle and/or loss ofcontrol of the vehicle. In certain instances, where the severity of thebump is particularly harsh, the vehicle may be driven around (e.g., toavoid) the problematic area. If another bump is detected, the locationof the bump may be marked on the map by the controller. In this way, thearea indicative of a rut and/or other obstacle may be continuously grown(e.g., updated) so that the vehicle is consistently slowed whenapproaching the rough sections in the terrain.

In some embodiments, instead of using a base station, the autonomousvehicles may use a map that is loaded in their controllers prior tooperation on the field. In some instances, the autonomous vehicles maylocally generate the maps as they traverse the fields. That is, theautonomous vehicles may update the maps without communicating the datato a base station. In other instances, the maps may be updated after thejob is complete and the autonomous vehicles return to a facility thatincludes a server controller to which the autonomous vehicle connects.The autonomous vehicle may communicate the data to the servercontroller, and the server controller may update a map based on the bumpdata and return the map to the autonomous vehicle. In some embodiments,more than one autonomous vehicle may communicate directly with oneanother and share data related to any bumps that are detected. In suchan embodiment, the autonomous vehicles may each have a copy of a mapstored that is updated with data received from their own respectivesensors and also from data received from the other autonomous vehicleswithout communicating to a base station.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a two-dimensional(2D) map 10 of a terrain 12 including an initial marked area 14indicating one or more bumps was detected by a vehicle 16. Asillustrated, the terrain 12 may include one or more rows 18 that thevehicle 16 traverses as it works the terrain 12. Examples of types ofwork the vehicle 16 may perform on the terrain 12 may include deliveringan agricultural particulate material to the terrain, tilling theterrain, planting seeds, harvesting crops on the terrain, and so forth.The map 10 may include a representation of the vehicle 16 so that thelocation of the vehicle 16 may be tracked, and certain properties (e.g.,velocity, direction) of the vehicle may be controlled based at least onits location. Also, as mentioned above, the terrain 12 may include oneor more ruts 20 that develop over time. Although certain figures andexamples discussed herein relate to the rut 20 to facilitate discussion,the techniques may be applied to detect and/or mark various obstacles(e.g., rocks, soft soil) and to modify operation of the vehicle in themanners disclosed herein.

The ruts 20, which may refer to a track in the ground, may be developedby runoff water, wheels of a vehicle, and the like, and may provide adifference in elevation between the ground (e.g., field surface) and thebottom of the rut 20. When the vehicle 16 drives across the rut 20, thevehicle 16 may experience a jolt or bump due to the wheels rapidlychanging elevations as the wheels drop into the rut 20 and then emergeout of the rut 20. Likewise, driving over an obstacle, such as a rock,may cause an opposite change in elevation as the wheels of the vehicle16 increase elevations when they drive on top of the rock and thendecrease elevations as they drive off of the rock back onto the ground.

As previously discussed, the rut 20 and/or the obstacles may be hiddenby crops growing in the terrain 12. However, the vehicle 16 may detectthe rut 20 and/or obstacles as they are encountered using one or moresensors. For example, when the vehicle 16 drives across the rut 20 forthe first time in the terrain 12, the vehicle 16 may experience a bump.The sensors in the vehicle may detect signals indicative of the bumpseverity and location in the terrain 12. The vehicle 16 may transmit thesignals to a base station that may determine whether the severity of thebump is greater than a threshold bump severity value. If the bumpseverity value exceeds the threshold bump severity value, the basestation may mark the area 14 on the map 10 of the terrain 12. Thethreshold bump severity value may vary with the velocity of the vehicle16. For example, the threshold bump severity value that is measured bythe sensors may decrease when the vehicle 16 is traveling slower, andthe threshold bump severity value that is measured by the sensors mayincrease when the vehicle 16 is traveling faster. In some embodiments,the initial area 14 may include a shape, such as a circle, square,rectangle, etc. that extends around the specific location where the bumpwas detected.

On subsequent passes across the terrain 12, the vehicle 16 may beautomatically slowed down by the base station or a server controllerwhen the vehicle 16 enters the marked area 14. As discussed more fullybelow, the amount of velocity reduction may be based on the proximity ofthe vehicle 16 to the specific location of the bump, the currentvelocity of the vehicle 16, and/or the severity of the bump. Forexample, the velocity of the vehicle 16 may be slightly reduced ifapproaching a small bump or the velocity may be significantly reduced ifapproaching a large bump. The severity of the bump may refer to the sizeand/or geometry of the bump. If other bumps are detected duringsubsequent passes, the map 10 may be updated with an additional markedarea for the new bumps.

Thus, the marked area 14 may continue to grow (e.g., update or expand)as the vehicle 16 traverses the terrain 12, as shown in the 2D map 10 inFIG. 2. As depicted, the marked area 14 has expanded to follow thecourse of the rut 20. Indeed, the vehicle 16 detected both an upperprong 22 and a lower prong 24 of the rut 20 and the shapes that weremarked on the map 10 overlap. As a result, the vehicle 16 may enter themarked area 14 from one side (e.g., the south side) and reduce itsvelocity as desired so it crosses the lower prong 24 at the reducedvelocity. Then, while it is in the area 14 between the lower prong 24and the upper prong 22, the vehicle 16 may maintain its reduced velocityand/or modify its velocity based on its proximity to the upper prong 22.As such, when the vehicle 16 crosses the upper prong 22, it may do so atthe reduced velocity so as to reduce the effects that the rut 20 has onthe vehicle 16. Once the vehicle 16 leaves the area 14 and/or as thevehicle 16 gains distance from the rut 20, the velocity of the vehicle16 may be increased back to normal operating velocity.

In some embodiments, the area 14 may more precisely follow the rut 20and/or other obstacles using the data obtained via the sensors on thevehicle 16. For example, the roll, pitch, and yaw of the vehicle 16 maybe detected via the sensors, which may include an accelerometer (e.g.,multi-axis accelerometer that measures multiple acceleration values), agyroscope, a global positioning system (GPS), a global navigationsatellite system (GNSS), an optical sensor, a radio frequency (RF)sensor, and the like. Using data signals obtained by the sensors, thecontroller of the base station may determine the direction ofacceleration of the vehicle 16 when it encounters the rut 20 and/orobstacles, the severity (e.g., geometry including depth, width, etc.) ofthe rut 20, and so forth.

The controller may use one or more techniques such as line fitting toprecisely map the area 14 to follow the rut 20. In some embodiments,least squares fitting techniques may be used to find the best-fittingcurve to a given set of points (e.g., bump locations) by minimizing thesum of the squares of the offsets of the points from the curve.

Other suitable techniques may be used to mark the area 14 so that itfollows the rut 20 more closely. For example, blob detection techniquesmay be used to fill areas of the map 12 that are rough or rocky. Blobdetection may include methods used to detect regions in an image thatdiffer in properties, such as detected bumps, compared to areassurrounding those regions. That is, blobs may be identified by thevarying properties (e.g., bump values) in the different areas of the mapand the area 14 can be marked accordingly.

A visualization of the terrain 12 including an area that more preciselyfollows and describes the rut 20 is depicted by a heat map 30illustrated in FIG. 3. As depicted, the heat map 30 includes a markedarea 14 representing the rut 20 generated based on bumps detected by thevehicle 16. In some embodiments, the area 14 may be color-coded based onbump severity (e.g., size, geometry). For example, bumps that are moresevere may be colored a certain color, such as red, orange, or the like,that provides an indication of their severity. Bumps that are lesssevere may be colored a different certain color, such as green, blue,yellow, that provides an indication of their severity.

As depicted in the illustrated embodiment, the heat map 30 may provide ageospatial overlay view of a density of bumps by severity. As shown, thebumps with a darker blur (e.g., red) represent bumps with high severity,and the bumps with a lighter blur (e.g., green, blue, etc.) representbumps with low severity.

It should be understood that the color coding may be configurable by auser, such as by interacting with the visualization at the base stationor a server controller. Color coding the area 14 based upon bumpseverity may further enable the heat map 30 to display densities ofsevere bumps. To illustrate, the heat map 30 displays a high density ofbumps colored red in the area 14 (represented by dark patches 32), whichmay indicate that there are numerous large bumps with high severity inclose proximity (e.g., a ravine). In such a scenario, it may bedesirable to stop the vehicle 16 and/or navigate the vehicle 16 to avoidthe patches 32. In contrast, if there are a few areas 14 that are ofhigh bump severity, but spread out over a larger geographic area, thenit may be desirable to substantially slow the velocity of the vehicle 16(e.g., to a first velocity) without stopping or navigating the vehicle16 around the isolated bumpy areas 14.

Further, a portion of the area 14 that includes a small density of a fewminor bumps may be represented by a suitable color (e.g., green) and athinned out line 34. In such instances, the vehicle 16 may only beslightly slowed down (e.g., to a second velocity greater than the first)when crossing that portion of the rut 20.

In some embodiments, the heat map 30 may be generated by the controllerof the base station based on the aggregated bump data (e.g., location,severity, acceleration, direction, etc.) sent from the vehicle 16. Theheat map 30 may be generated by associating each pixel with a particularpoint on the geographic landscape of the heat map 30. Then, using thelocation data of the bumps, the bumps may be placed at the proper pixelsbased upon their respective geographical locations. The bumps may bemore properly spaced apart relative to one another based upon spatialinformation included in or derived from the location data. Further,based at least in part on the bump severity data, a color may be appliedto the bumps' pixels to represent the bumps' severity. The controllermay apply a spread or blur algorithm, such as a Gaussian blur, to blendthe pixels to derive the heat map 30.

Another example of the area 14 more precisely following the rut 20 isillustrated in a three-dimensional (3D) model 40 in FIG. 4. The area 14may include a perimeter positioned at any configurable amount of space(e.g., 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15 feet) away from the edges of the rut20. The area 14 may be used by the base station to automatically slowthe vehicle 16 to a desired velocity when the vehicle 16 enters the area14 before crossing the rut 20.

The rut 20 may be generated on the map based on data detected via theone or more sensors on the vehicle 16. As previously discussed, the datamay indicate the location of bumps and/or the severity of the bumps. Forexample, bump data sent to the base station may indicate the location ofan entrance bump when one or more wheels of the vehicle 16 enter the rut20. Bump data may also indicate the severity of the bump, which may beused to determine a depth of the rut 20 (e.g., based on the severity ofthe bump measured). Also, bump data may indicate the location of an exitbump where one or more of the wheels of the vehicle 16 leave the rut 20.The time difference in between the entrance bump and the exit bump, usedin conjunction with a known velocity of the vehicle 16, may enabledetermination of the width of the rut 20. As a result, the controller ofthe base station may use the location of the entrance bump and the exitbump, the depth of the rut 20, and/or the width of the rut 20 to modelthe rut 20 three-dimensionally, as shown.

In some embodiments, the 3D model may develop (e.g., generate) the rut20 based on data obtained via a spatial locating device, as described indetail below. For example, a spatial locating device may be mounted on aroof of the vehicle 16, and changes in the terrain 12 may lead to largeand rapid movement of the spatial locating device. The controller maydetect rapid changes of the velocity of the spatial locating device thatare not proportional with changes in the average velocity of the vehicle16. When those changes occur, the terrain 16 may be modeled accordinglyto reflect any bumps encountered and the severity of the bumps.

As depicted, the 3D model 40 displays a fully rendered rut 20, but, insome embodiments, the 3D model 40 may be built off of a partial datasetand include only a portion of the rut 20. For example, when a bump isinitially detected in the terrain 12 without other bumps being detected,only the initial bump may be displayed on the 3D model 40. However, aspreviously discussed, subsequently detected bumps may be used tocontinuously build the fully rendered rut 20.

In some embodiments, the data related to the bumps and the rut 20 and/orother obstacles may be retained (e.g., stored) and used for subsequentjobs performed by the vehicle 16, and/or other vehicles, in the terrain12. As the vehicles 16 continue to use the terrain 12, additional ruts20 may be detected and the maps (10, 30) and/or models 40 may be updatedbased on any newly detected data. At least one benefit of the disclosedtechniques may include enabling an owner of the terrain 12 to becomeaware of ruts 20 and/or obstacles, which may enable the owner to fillthe ruts 20 and/or remove the obstacles. If the ruts 20 and/or obstaclesare removed, the visualizations may dynamically update based on sensordata received from the vehicles 16 that indicates the bumps have beenremoved (e.g., the detected bumps no longer exceed the threshold).

Further, it should be appreciated that there may be numerous vehicles 16(e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, etc.) working the terrain 12 and allvehicles 16 in the terrain 12 may benefit from the disclosed techniquesby being controlled by a base station using the maps (10, 30) and/or 3Dmodel 40 when operated near the identified rut 20 and/or obstacle toreduce the effects of the rut 20. In other words, the base station maycontrol all of the vehicles 16 working the terrain 12 using the maps(10, 30) and/or 3D model 40 to modify the vehicles' velocity and/ordirections based at least on the proximity of the vehicles 16 to the rut20, current velocity of the vehicles 16, and/or severity of the bumps.

Also, in embodiments where a base station is not used, the numerousvehicles 16 may directly communicate data to one another and generate alocal map (10, 30) and/or 3D model 40 to operate near the identified rut20 and/or obstacle to reduce the effects of the rut 20. The maps may beupdated by each respective vehicle as it accumulates more data whiletraversing the terrain 12 and from data received from other vehicles 16that are working the terrain 12.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an autonomousagricultural system 50 including the vehicle 16 and a base station 52.In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle 16 includes a control system54 having a controller 55 coupled to a first transceiver 56. The firsttransceiver 56 is configured to send signals to and receive signals froma second transceiver 58 of the base station 52. The second transceiver58 is communicatively coupled to a controller 59 of the base station 52.As discussed in detail below, the signals sent from the firsttransceiver 56 to the second transceiver 58 may indicate bump severity,bump location, acceleration, bump direction, time of bump, currentvelocity, location of the vehicle 16, and so forth. Also, the signalsreceived by the first transceiver 56 from the second transceiver 58 mayindicate a target velocity of the vehicle 16, route, angle of wheels,operation (e.g., start seeding, stop seeding, start tilling, stoptilling), and the like.

As will be appreciated, the first and second transceivers (56, 58) mayoperate at any suitable frequency range within the electromagneticspectrum. For example, in certain embodiments, the transceivers maybroadcast and receive radio waves within a frequency range of about 1GHz to about 10 GHz. In addition, the first and second transceivers mayutilize any suitable communication protocol, such as a standard protocol(e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) or a proprietary protocol.

As used herein, “velocity” (e.g., determined velocity, target velocity,etc.) refers to a velocity vector, such as a one, two, orthree-dimensional velocity vector. For example, a one-dimensionalvelocity vector may include speed (e.g., ground speed), atwo-dimensional velocity vector may include speed (e.g., ground speed)and heading within a plane (e.g., along a ground plane), and athree-dimensional velocity vector may include speed and heading within athree-dimensional space. The velocity vector may be represented in arectangular, polar, cylindrical, or spherical coordinate system, amongother suitable coordinate systems. In certain embodiments, the velocitymay be represented as a unit/normalized vector, i.e., a vector having aunit magnitude. In such embodiments, the magnitude (e.g., speed) is notincluded in the velocity vector. For example, a two-dimensional velocityunit vector may be representative of heading within a plane (e.g., alonga ground plane), and a three-dimensional velocity unit vector may berepresentative of heading within a three-dimensional space.

The vehicle control system 54 also includes a spatial locating device60, which is mounted to the vehicle 16 and configured to determine aposition of the vehicle 16, a location of the vehicle 16, a velocity ofthe vehicle 16, and a position of the spatial locating device. Thespatial locating device 60 is also communicatively coupled to thecontroller 55. As will be appreciated, the spatial locating device 60may include any suitable system configured to measure the positionand/or velocity of the vehicle 16, such as a global positioning system(GPS), a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), and the like. Incertain embodiments, the spatial locating device 60 may be configured tomeasure the position and velocity of the vehicle 16 relative to a fixedpoint within a terrain (e.g., via a fixed radio transceiver).Accordingly, the spatial locating device 60 may be configured to measurethe position and/or velocity of the vehicle 16 relative to a fixedglobal coordinate system (e.g., via the GPS) or a fixed local coordinatesystem. Further, the spatial locating device 60 may obtain data relatedto its position as the vehicle 16 traverses the terrain 12, and thecontroller 59 may use this data to determine changes in velocity of thespatial locating device 60. Once the velocity changes are determined,the controller 59 may compare the changes to the average velocity of thevehicle 16. When disproportionate discrepancies between changes in thevelocity of the spatial locating device 60 and the average velocity ofthe vehicle 16 exist, the controller 59 may plot out the bumpy landscapeof the terrain 12 on a map (e.g., 3D model 40).

The first transceiver 56 broadcasts the determined position of thevehicle 16, location of the vehicle 16, velocity of the vehicle 16,and/or position of the spatial locating device 60 to the secondtransceiver 58. In some embodiments, the second transceiver 58 may sendthe determined positions, location, and velocity to the controller 59,which may use the determined location and position of the vehicle 16 todetermine which direction to direct the vehicle 16 when the vehicle isnear the rut 20 as indicated by the maps (10, 30) and/or model 40.Further, the controller 59 may use the determined velocity of thevehicle 16 to determine the amount to increase or decrease the vehicle'svelocity when the vehicle 16 is near the rut 20 and/or other obstaclesaccording to the determined velocity, proximity to the rut 20 and/orobstacles, and/or severity of approaching bumps.

In addition, the vehicle control system 54 includes one or more sensors62. The sensors 62 may include one or more of an accelerometer, opticalsensor, radio-frequency (RF) sensor, and so forth. In embodiments, wherethe sensor 62 is an accelerometer, the accelerometer may measureacceleration (e.g., three-dimensional acceleration) of the vehicle 16and direction of acceleration based on detected vibrations. That is, theaccelerometer may measure the roll rate, yaw rate, and pitch rate whilethe vehicle 16 is operating, and continuously or periodically transmitthe obtained data to the second transceiver 58. The controller 59 mayuse the data from the accelerometer received by the second transceiver58 to calculate a bump severity value and determine whether the valueexceeds a threshold bump severity value (e.g., a predeterminedthreshold). In some embodiments, if the bump severity value exceeds thethreshold, then the location of the bump and the severity of the bump(e.g., based on the geometry of the rut 20 determined by analyzing thedata from the accelerometer) may be marked on the map (10, 30) and/or 3Dmodel 40.

It should be appreciated that any suitable number of sensors 62 (e.g.,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10) may be included on the vehicle 16, as desired.For example, multiple sensors 62 may be included on the vehicle 16(e.g., one on each wheel and/or axle) to provide information on thedirection of acceleration caused by a bump and/or locations of thebumps, which may be used to plot the bumps in the map of the terrain 12represented by the one or more visualizations. However, in someembodiments, only a single sensor 62 may be used (e.g., on the axle) todetect the direction of acceleration caused by contacting the rut 20and/or other obstacle.

Additionally, the location of the sensors 62 may be configured asdesired. In some embodiments, the location of the sensors 62 may varybased upon the vehicle 16 used. For example, for a seeder with numerousframe sections, a sensor 62 may be located on each of the sections toenable collecting data on a wider area of the terrain 12, which mayfurther enable providing information on the shape of the rut 20 and/orother obstacles encountered. The location of the sensors 62 may be basedon the number of sensors 62 used. For example, if only one sensor 62 isused, then the sensor 62 may be located at a position on the vehicle 16most likely to experience vibrations from a number of different areas ofthe vehicle 16, such as on the axle.

In the illustrated embodiment, the control system 54 includes anautomated steering control system 64 configured to control a directionof movement of the vehicle 16, and an automated speed control system 66configured to control a speed of the vehicle 16. In addition, thecontrol system 54 includes the controller 55 communicatively coupled tothe first transceiver 56, to the spatial locating device 60, to theautomated steering control system 64, and to the automated speed controlsystem 66. The controller 55 is configured to automatically control thevehicle 16 while the vehicle 16 is in and around areas including bumpsas indicated by the visualizations (maps 10, 30 and/or 3D model 40)based on signals received from the base station 52.

In certain embodiments, the controller 55 is an electronic controllerhaving electrical circuitry configured to process data from thetransceiver 56, the spatial locating device 60, and/or other componentsof the control system 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller55 include a processor, such as the illustrated microprocessor 68, and amemory device 70. The controller 55 may also include one or more storagedevices and/or other suitable components. The processor 68 may be usedto execute software, such as software for controlling the vehicle 16,and so forth. Moreover, the processor 68 may include multiplemicroprocessors, one or more “general-purpose” microprocessors, one ormore special-purpose microprocessors, and/or one or more applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICS), or some combination thereof. Forexample, the processor 68 may include one or more reduced instructionset (RISC) processors.

The memory device 70 may include a volatile memory, such as randomaccess memory (RAM), and/or a nonvolatile memory, such as ROM. Thememory device 70 may store a variety of information and may be used forvarious purposes. For example, the memory device 70 may storeprocessor-executable instructions (e.g., firmware or software) for theprocessor 68 to execute, such as instructions for controlling thevehicle 16. The storage device(s) (e.g., nonvolatile storage) mayinclude read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, a hard drive, or any othersuitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium, or acombination thereof. The storage device(s) may store data (e.g.,position data, sensor data, etc.), instructions (e.g., software orfirmware for controlling the vehicle, etc.), and any other suitabledata.

In the illustrated embodiment, the automated steering control system 64includes a wheel angle control system 72, a differential braking system74, and a torque vectoring system 76. The wheel angle control system 72may automatically rotate one or more wheels of the vehicle 16 (e.g., viahydraulic actuators) to steer the vehicle 16 along a desired route. Byway of example, the wheel angle control system 72 may rotate frontwheels, rear wheels, and/or intermediate wheels of the vehicle, eitherindividually or in groups. The differential braking system 74 mayindependently vary the braking force on each lateral side of the vehicleto direct the vehicle 16 along the desired route. Similarly, the torquevectoring system 76 may differentially apply torque from an engine towheels and/or tracks on each lateral side of the vehicle, therebydirecting the vehicle 16 along a desired route. While the illustratedsteering control system 64 includes the wheel angle control system 72,the differential braking system 74, and the torque vectoring system 76,it should be appreciated that alternative embodiments may include one ortwo of these systems, in any suitable combination. Further embodimentsmay include an automated steering control system 64 having other and/oradditional systems to facilitate directing the vehicle 16 along thedesired route.

In the illustrated embodiment, the automated speed control system 66includes an engine output control system 78, a transmission controlsystem 80, and a braking control system 82. The engine output controlsystem 78 is configured to vary the output of the engine to control thespeed of the vehicle 16. For example, the engine output control system78 may vary a throttle setting of the engine, a fuel/air mixture of theengine, a timing of the engine, and/or other suitable engine parametersto control engine output. In addition, the transmission control system80 may adjust gear selection within a transmission to control the speedof the vehicle 16. Furthermore, the braking control system 82 may adjustbraking force, thereby controlling the speed of the vehicle 16. Whilethe illustrated automated speed control system 66 includes the engineoutput control system 78, the transmission control system 80, and thebraking control system 82, it should be appreciated that alternativeembodiments may include one or two of these systems, in any suitablecombination. Further embodiments may include an automated speed controlsystem 66 having other and/or additional systems to facilitate adjustingthe speed of the vehicle 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle control system 54 includes auser interface 84 communicatively coupled to the controller 55. The userinterface 84 is configured to selectively instruct the controller 55 toautomatically control the vehicle 16 based on operator input. In certainembodiments, the user interface 84 includes a display 86 configured topresent information to the operator, such as the one or morevisualizations (e.g., maps 10, 30 and 3D model 40), which may indicatewhether the vehicle 16 is within an area including rough terrain (e.g.,bumps) and/or other obstacles, whether the vehicle 16 is approaching therough area, and/or whether the vehicle 16 is outside the rough area.

As illustrated, the vehicle 16 includes manual controls 88 configured toenable an operator to control the vehicle 16 while the automatic controlsystem is disengaged. The manual controls 88 may include manual steeringcontrol, manual transmission control, and/or manual braking control,among other controls. In the illustrated embodiment, the manual controls88 are communicatively coupled to the controller 55. In someembodiments, the controller 55 is configured to disengage automaticcontrol of the vehicle 16 upon receiving a signal indicative of manualcontrol of the vehicle 16. Accordingly, if an operator controls thevehicle 16 manually, the automatic velocity reduction/enhancementprocess may terminate, thereby restoring control of the vehicle to theoperator 16. In some embodiments, the operator may steer the vehicle 16manually, and the automatic velocity features may remain intact (e.g.,the velocity of the vehicle 16 may be adjusted automatically as setforth herein).

In the illustrated embodiment, the base station 52 includes a controlsystem 90 including the controller 59. Similar to the vehicle controller55, the base station controller 59 includes a processor, such as theillustrated microprocessor 92, and a memory device 94. The memory device94 may store data related to the map of the terrain 12, such asvisualizations of the map (maps 10, 30 and/or 3D model 40), thelandscape of the terrain 12, location of bumps, and/or relativeseverities of bumps. Also, the memory device 94 may store data relatedto the vehicle 16, such as location of the vehicle 16 on the terrain 12,type of vehicle 16, type of sensors 62 on the vehicle 16, velocity ofthe vehicle 16, position of the vehicle 16, and the like.

In one embodiment, the controller 59 of the base station 52 determinesthe amount of speed reduction and driving direction of the autonomousvehicle 16 while operating the terrain 12. However, in some embodiments,the controller 55 of the vehicle 16 may generate a map locally anddetermine a target velocity and direction to travel based at least onthe vehicle's proximity to an area on the visualizations including oneor more bumps, the severity of the bumps, and/or the current velocity ofthe vehicle 16.

The controller 59 is communicatively coupled to the second transceiver58 and configured to transmit position and velocity information to thetransceiver 56. For example, the controller 59 may determine the targetvelocity that the vehicle 16 should drive based at least in part onsignals received by the second transceiver 58 from the first transceiver56 that indicate the vehicle's proximity to an area on thevisualizations including one or more bumps, the severity of the bumps,and/or the current velocity of the vehicle 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, the base station control system 90includes a user interface 96 configured to receive input from anoperator. As discussed in detail below, the user interface 96 includes adisplay 98 configured to present information to the operator and/or toreceive input from the operator. The display 98 may display the one ormore visualizations of the map of the terrain 12. As illustrated, theuser interface 96 is communicatively coupled to the controller 59.

In certain embodiments, the controller 59 is configured to determine aroute and/or a target velocity of the vehicle based at least in part onthe determined proximity to bumps and/or other obstacles on thevisualizations, the determined current velocity of the vehicle 16,and/or the severity of the approaching bumps in the area. The controller59 is also configured to determine steering instructions based at leastin part on the route and the determined target velocity of the vehicle.Once the route is determined, the controller 59 is configured to sendsignals to the second transceiver 58 to communicate the determinedroute, steering instructions, and/or target velocity to the firsttransceiver 56 of the vehicle 16. The transceiver 56 may receive thesignals and send the signals to the controller 55, which may instructthe automated steering control system 64 and/or the automated speedcontrol system 66 to direct the vehicle 16 along the route using thesteering instructions and/or target velocity.

For example, the route may include the originally planned route for thevehicle 16 and only the target velocity may be reduced because the bumpsin the rough area are not severe. In such an instance, the vehicle 16may proceed along its original route and slow down and/or raise theimplement while driving through the area to reduce any effects the bumpsmay have upon the vehicle 16. Once through the area, the vehicle 16 mayincrease its velocity back to normal operating velocity and/or lower theimplement based on signals from the base station 52. On the other hand,when the area includes severe bumps (e.g., a large ravine), the routemay direct the vehicle 16 around the area entirely so as to avoid anyeffects the area may cause and/or inhibiting the vehicle 16 from gettingstuck in the ravine. In yet other instances, the instructions from thebase station 90 may cause the vehicle 16 to stop completely. Forexample, if a viable route cannot be ascertained within a period of timeor prior to reaching the bumps, the vehicle 16 may be stopped until aroute is determined or an operator provides the route.

In certain embodiments, the controller 59 is configured to adjust (e.g.,along lateral and/or longitudinal directions) the route on avisualization based on input from the user interface 96. For example, anoperator at the base station may periodically adjust the route for thevehicle 16 while being operated so that the vehicle 16 avoids aparticularly rough area on the terrain 12. Upon adjustment of the route,the updated route is transmitted to the vehicle control system 54 (e.g.,via transceivers 58, 56). Upon receiving the updated route, the vehiclecontrol system 54 adjusts the target position such that the vehicle issteered along the route. In certain embodiments, the operator of thevehicle 16 may also adjust the route via the user interface 84 and/ormanual controls 88.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process 110 suitable formarking detected bumps on a map of the terrain 12 and modifying thespeed of a vehicle 16 based at least in part on the vehicle's proximityto the bumps, current speed of the vehicle 16, and/or severity of thebumps. The process 110 may be implemented as computer instructionsstored on one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable medias(e.g., memory devices 94, 70) and executable by one or more processors92, 68. The process 110 includes detecting and marking bumps on a map(process block 112), monitoring the map for bumps (process block 114),and modifying the velocity of the vehicle 16 based at least on thevehicle's proximity to the bumps (process block 114), the currentvelocity of the vehicle 16, and/or seventies of the bumps (process block116).

FIG. 7 is a more detailed flow diagram of an embodiment of a process 120that may be used in process block 112 of process 110 from FIG. 6 whendetecting and marking bumps on the map. The process 120 marks thelocations of bumps on the map based on whether a bump severity value islarger than a threshold bump severity value. For example, the process120 includes determining a threshold bump severity value (process block122). The threshold bump severity value may be adjusted proportionallyto the velocity of the vehicle 16 because the effect of the bumps on thevehicle 16 may vary relative to the speed of the vehicle 16. Forexample, bumps may be experienced more severely at higher speeds andless severely at lower speeds. Thus, the threshold bump severity valuemay be scaled with the velocity to account for these differences.

In some embodiments, a lookup table may be used to determine thethreshold bump severity value based on the velocity of the vehicle 16.For example, the lookup table may include a set of threshold bumpseverity values associated with a respective velocity. The thresholdbump severity values may be proportional to each speed such that thethreshold bump severity values increase as the velocity increases andthe threshold bump severity values decrease as the velocity decreases.Additionally or alternatively, the threshold bump severity value may bebased on other factors, such as the size of the tires on the vehicle 16.For example, smaller tires feel may amplify the bump as detected by thesensors 56, for example, as compared to larger tires. Thus, thethreshold bump severity value for smaller tires may be determinedaccordingly. Once the threshold bump severity values are determined andset for particular velocities and/or tires, for example, the thresholdbump severity values may be stored in memory (e.g., devices 94, 70) forreference and comparison as the vehicle 16 experiences bumps in theterrain 12.

In process block 124, the vehicle 16 detects bumps via one or moresensors 62. As previously described, in some embodiments, the sensors 62may include an accelerometer that measures the frequency of vibrationand/or acceleration (e.g., roll rate, yaw rate, and pitch rate) and/ordirection of acceleration of the vehicle 16. The data obtained viasensors 62 may be sent to the base station's controller 59 viatransceivers 56 and 58. The controller 59 may calculate the value of thebump severity based at least on the roll rate, yaw rate, and/or pitchrate, and/or the velocity of the vehicle 16 (process block 126). In someembodiments, an equation to determine the bump severity value may beexpressed as follows:

BUMP SEVERITY VALUE=sqrt(ROLL_RATE²+YAW_RATE²+PITCH_RATE²)/VELOCITY

The controller 59 may access the appropriate threshold bump severityvalue (e.g., from the look up table), and compare the determined bumpseverity value to the threshold bump severity value for the associatedvelocity. The controller 59 then determines whether the bump severityvalue is greater than the threshold bump severity value (decision block128). If the bump severity value is greater than the threshold bumpseverity value, then the controller 59 marks the location of the bump onthe map (process block 130). Marking the location of the bump on the mapmay also include indicating the relative severity of the bump. Aspreviously described, if the visualization being used is the heat map 30and the bump severity value exceeds the threshold bump severity value bya certain amount or percentage, then the bump may be represented with acolor (e.g., red) indicative of the bump's severity. If the bumpseverity value is less than the threshold bump severity value, then theprocess 120 returns to detecting bumps (process block 124).

In some embodiments, the bump severity values that exceed the thresholdbump severity value may be filtered out during certain events orscenarios. For example, in some scenarios, the bump may be caused by afactor other than the terrain on which the vehicle 16 is driving. Theseextraneous bumps may be caused by events including the vehicle 16shifting gears, the vehicle's engine speed/throttle rapidly changing, animplement attached to the vehicle hitting a bump, and so forth. Thus,the controller 59 may filter out a bump severity value that exceeds thethreshold bump severity value when one of the extraneous bump events hasoccurred. That is, the controller 59 may receive an input (e.g., from asensor or user) and/or make a determination related to when the vehiclegear shift will occur, when the engine speed changes rapidly, and/orwhen the implement will hit a known bump due to the vehicle geometry andmay filter out the bumps detected during those events and/or caused bythose events. In this way, the techniques may enable marking bumps onthe map that are caused by the terrain 12 on which the vehicle 16 isdriving, and block or inhibit marking of bumps caused by other events,such as those noted above.

In some embodiments, detecting the bump via one or more sensors 62(process block 124) may include using data from the vehicle's spatiallocating device 60 (e.g., GNSS, GPS) to create a 3D model 40 of theterrain 12 as the vehicle 16 drives across the terrain 12, as previouslydiscussed. To achieve this, the controller 59 may determine the averagevelocity (e.g., magnitude and direction) of the vehicle 16. Thecontroller 59 may receive signals indicative of the spatial locatingdevice's position obtained by the spatial locating device 60 (viatransceivers 56, 58). Using the positions of the spatial locating devicethe controller may detect rapid changes of the spatial locating device60 velocity that are not proportional with changes in the average speedof the vehicle 16. Accordingly, the spatial locating device 60 may beconfigured to determine its position and send its position at asufficient rate to detect the rapid changes in velocity, which mayindicate bumps in the terrain 12. For example, the spatial locatingdevice's position sampling rate may be 5 Hz, 10 Hz, 15 Hz, 20 Hz, or thelike. An equation to determine a value indicative of the bump using theposition of the spatial locating device 60 may be expressed as follows:

SPATIAL_LOCATING_DEVICE_BUMP=sqrt((LAT_VEL−AVG_LAT_VEL)²+(LON_VEL−AVG_LON_VEL)²)

“LAT_VEL” and “LON_VEL” may represent instantaneous velocity values orvelocity values averaged over a very short period of time. “AVG_LAT_VEL”and “AVG_LON_VEL” may represent the velocities averaged over a longerperiod of time. The average values may be obtained from the spatiallocating device, one or more other sources (e.g., wheel speed sensors,radar ground speed sensors), or some combination thereof. When thevelocity of the spatial locating device changes disproportionately tothe average velocity of the vehicle 16 (e.g., the velocity of thespatial locating device exceeds the average velocity) (decision block128), then the location and severity of the bumps may be marked on themap (process block 130). In some embodiments, the velocity of thespatial locating device may be used (e.g., by the controller 59) todetermine a severity of the bumps, which may be indicated on the map.

It should be understood that, in some embodiments, a combination of dataobtained via the sensors 62 and/or the spatial locating device may beused to determine the location of the bumps, severity of the bumps, andto generate the visualizations of the maps. For example, the spatiallocating device bump calculation may be used in conjunction with thecalculation of the bump severity value to determine whether to mark thebumps and to develop the terrain 12 in the one or more visualizations.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process 140 suitable formodifying the velocity of the vehicle 16 based at least on proximity ofthe vehicle 16 to the bumps, a current velocity of the vehicle 16,and/or the severity of the bumps. The process 140 may be implemented ascomputer instructions stored on one or more tangible, non-transitorymachine-readable medias (e.g., memories 94, 70) and executable by one ormore processors 92, 68. It should be understood that any modificationsto the velocity and directions may be communicated via the controller 59to the second transceiver 58. The second transceiver 58 may send theinstructions to the first transceiver 56, which communicates theinstructions to the vehicle's controller 55. If the instructions includean increase or decrease in velocity, the controller 55 instructs thespeed control system 66 accordingly. If the instructions include a newroute or direction, the controller 55 instructs the steering controlsystem 64 accordingly.

The process 140 includes determining whether the vehicle 16 isapproaching a bump on the map (decision block 142). The controller 59may make this determination by monitoring the location of the vehicle 16relative to previously identified severe bumps (e.g., based on thevisualization). In some instances, this determination is made when thevehicle 16 enters the area marked on the visualization that surroundsthe actual bump (e.g. perimeter).

If the vehicle 16 is approaching an identified bump on the map, then thecontroller 59 is configured to reduce the velocity of the vehicle basedon the proximity to the bump, current velocity of the vehicle 16, and/orseverity of the bump (process block 144). For example, the closer thevehicle 16 gets to the bump on the map, the slower the vehicle'svelocity may be set. That is, the vehicle's velocity may be reduced(e.g., to a first target velocity) when the vehicle initially enters thearea surrounding the actual bump, and then reduced further down to a setminimum velocity (e.g., a lower second target velocity) as the vehiclenears the bump. Also, the current velocity of the vehicle 16 mayinfluence the amount of velocity reduction. That is, if the currentvelocity is approximately equal to the set minimum velocity or someacceptable percentage or amount greater than the set minimum velocity,then minimal or no velocity reduction is applied. On the other hand, ifthe current velocity is greater than the set minimum velocity or is notwithin some acceptable percentage of the set minimum velocity, then thevelocity may be reduced (e.g., to the set minimum velocity). Inaddition, the severity of the bump may influence the set minimumvelocity to which the vehicle 16 is adjusted, and thus, the amount ofvelocity reduction applied to the vehicle 16. For example, if a minorbump is present on the visualization, then the vehicle's velocity isslowed slightly (e.g., to a higher set minimum velocity), whereas if alarger bump is approaching, then the vehicle's velocity is slowed moreheavily (e.g., to a lower set minimum velocity) or the vehicle may bestopped or redirected entirely around the bump.

If the vehicle 16 is not approaching or near an identified bump on themap, or the velocity of the vehicle 16 has been reduced because thevehicle 16 is approaching an identified bump on the map, then thecontroller 59 determines whether the vehicle is departing from a bump onthe map (decision block 146). The controller may make this determinationby monitoring the location of the vehicle 16 relative to previouslyidentified bumps (e.g., based on the visualizations). If the vehicle 16is departing from a bump on the map, then the controller 59 sendssignals to the vehicle control system 54 to increase the velocity of thevehicle based on the proximity to the bump, the current velocity of thevehicle 16, and/or the severity of the bumps (process block 148).

For example, the velocity of the vehicle 16 may be gradually increasedas the vehicle 16 drives further away from the bumps. Also, the amountof velocity increase may be based on the current velocity of the vehicle16. That is, if the vehicle 16 is already driving at a velocity near itsnormal operating velocity (e.g., velocity prior to approaching the bump)then the velocity increase may be minor. However, when the vehicle 16 isdriving substantially slower than its normal operating velocity whilenear severe bumps, then the amount of velocity increase may be greater.In addition, the amount that the velocity is increased may be based onthe severity of the bumps. When the bumps are less severe, the increasein velocity may be minor and when the bumps are more severe, theincrease in velocity may be greater to return the vehicle 16 to itsnormal operating velocity. In this way, the current velocity of thevehicle 16 and the severity of the bumps may similarly affect the amountof increase in the velocity as the vehicle 16 departs from the bump.After the velocity of the vehicle 16 is increased, the process 140returns to determining whether the vehicle is approaching another bumpon the map (process block 142). It should be noted that the implementmay be accounted for when managing the bumps. For example, in someembodiments, the speed of the vehicle 16 may not be increased until theimplement has traversed the location on the map indicative of the bump.

If the vehicle is not departing from a bump on the map, then thecontroller 59 determines whether the vehicle is inside an area on themap indicative of a bump (decision block 150). If the vehicle 16 isinside an area on the map indicative of a bump, then the controller 59instructs the vehicle's control system 54 to maintain the reducedvelocity (e.g., the first speed and/or the set minimum speed) whileinside the area (process block 152). Then, the controller 59 continuesto determine whether the vehicle 16 is approaching a bump on the map(process block 142). If the vehicle 16 is not inside an area indicativeof a bump on the map, then the controller 59 instructs the vehicle tomaintain normal velocity as it traverses the terrain 12 (process block154). Then, the controller 59 continues to determine whether the vehicle16 is approaching a bump on the map (process block 142). In this way,the velocity of the vehicle 16 may be modified as it traverses theterrain 12 based at least on the proximity of the vehicle 16 to thebumps, the current velocity of the vehicle 16, and/or the severity ofthe bumps to inhibit the effects that the bumps may have on the vehicle16.

While only certain features of the subject matter have been illustratedand described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the present disclosure.

1. A control system for a base station, comprising: a first transceiverconfigured to receive a first signal from a second transceiver of anagricultural vehicle and to send a second signal to the secondtransceiver, wherein the first signal is indicative of at least anacceleration of the agricultural vehicle, a current velocity of theagricultural vehicle, and a location relative to a terrain of theagricultural vehicle where the agricultural vehicle experienced theacceleration, and the second signal is indicative of at least a targetvelocity for the agricultural vehicle; and a first controllercommunicatively coupled to the first transceiver, wherein the firstcontroller is configured to: determine a bump severity value based atleast in part on the acceleration and the current velocity of theagricultural vehicle; mark an area indicative of the bump on a map ofthe terrain when the bump severity value exceeds a threshold bumpseverity value at the location where the agricultural vehicleexperienced the acceleration; and automatically generate the secondsignal when the agricultural vehicle enters the area on the map, whereinthe target velocity is based at least in part on a proximity of theagricultural vehicle to an identified bump, the bump severity value, orsome combination thereof.
 2. The control system of claim 1, wherein themap of the terrain is displayed via a visualization on a display, thevisualization comprising a two-dimensional (2D) map showing the areaindicative of the bump, or a heat map with the area indicative of thebump color-coded based on the bump severity value.
 3. The control systemof claim 1, wherein the map of the terrain is displayed via avisualization on a display, the visualization comprising athree-dimensional (3D) model showing the area indicative of the bumpsensed based on velocity changes of a spatial locating device attachedto the agricultural vehicle that are not proportional with changes in anaverage velocity of the agricultural vehicle, and the velocity of thespatial locating device are included in the first signal.
 4. The controlsystem of claim 1, wherein the first signal is generated via a secondcontroller of the agricultural vehicle based on data obtained via one ormore sensors coupled to the agricultural vehicle, the one or moresensors comprising an accelerometer, a global positioning system, aglobal navigation satellite system, an optical sensor, a radio-frequencysensor, or some combination thereof.
 5. The control system of claim 1,wherein the first controller is configured to filter out bump severityvalues that exceed threshold bump severity values during a gear shiftevent, during a rapid change in velocity of the agricultural vehicle, asan implement attached to the agricultural vehicle passes through thearea indicative of the bump, or some combination thereof.
 6. The controlsystem of claim 1, wherein the target velocity is set lower when thebump severity value exceeds the threshold bump severity value by a firstamount than when the bump severity value exceeds the threshold bumpseverity value by a second amount that is less than the first amount,and the target velocity is set lower when the agricultural vehicle iscloser to the location where the agricultural vehicle experienced theacceleration in the area than when the agricultural vehicle is fartheraway from the location where the agricultural vehicle experienced theacceleration in the area.
 7. The control system of claim 1, wherein thefirst controller is configured to expand the area on the map of theterrain when subsequent first signals are received by the firsttransceiver and the determined bump severity values exceed the thresholdbump severity values.
 8. The control system of claim 1, wherein theacceleration comprises a yaw rate, a pitch rate, and a roll rate.
 9. Thecontrol system of claim 1, wherein the threshold bump severity value isbased on the current velocity.
 10. The control system of claim 1,wherein the second signal comprises an alternate route around thelocation where the agricultural vehicle experienced the acceleration orthe target velocity is set to zero when the bump severity value exceedsthe threshold bump severity value by a predetermined amount.
 11. Amethod for controlling an agricultural vehicle, comprising: accessing,using a processor, a threshold bump severity value proportional to avelocity of an agricultural vehicle; receiving, at the processor, dataindicative of a bump in a terrain from one or more sensors coupled tothe agricultural vehicle; determining, using the processor, a bumpseverity value based on the data; marking, using the processor, an areaindicative of the bump on a map of the terrain when the bump severityvalue exceeds the threshold bump severity value; monitoring, using theprocessor, a location of the agricultural vehicle relative to theterrain on the map based on data indicative of the location receivedfrom the one or more sensors; and automatically generating a signal,using the processor, that instructs the agricultural vehicle to modifyits velocity based at least in part on the location of the agriculturalvehicle relative to the area, the bump severity value, or somecombination thereof.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signalinstructs the agricultural vehicle to reduce its velocity when enteringthe area and to increase its velocity when exiting the area.
 13. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the signal instructs the agriculturalvehicle to reduce its velocity to a first target velocity when the bumpseverity value exceeds the threshold bump severity value by a firstamount, and to reduce its velocity to a second target velocity, greaterthan the first target velocity, when the bump severity value exceeds thethreshold bump severity value by a second amount, less than the firstamount.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensorscomprise: an accelerometer configured to provide data indicative of anacceleration of the agricultural vehicle when the agricultural vehiclecontacts the bump; and a spatial locating device configured to providedata indicative of the location of the agricultural vehicle relative tothe terrain.
 15. The method of claim 11, comprising generating athree-dimensional (3D) model representing the map of the terrain showingthe area indicative of the bump based on velocity changes of a spatiallocating device attached to the agricultural vehicle that are notproportional with changes in an average velocity of the agriculturalvehicle.
 16. The method of claim 11, comprising filtering out the bumpseverity value that exceeds the threshold bump severity value during agear shift event, during a rapid change in velocity of the agriculturalvehicle, as an implement attached to the agricultural vehicle passesthrough the area, or some combination thereof.
 17. The method of claim11, wherein the signal instructs an automated speed control system ofthe agricultural vehicle to reduce the velocity of the agriculturalvehicle based at least in part on proximity to the bump, the bumpseverity value, or some combination thereof.
 18. A autonomousagricultural system, comprising: an agricultural vehicle, comprising: afirst transceiver configured to send a first signal to a secondtransceiver of a base station and to receive a second signal from thesecond transceiver of the base station, wherein the first signal isindicative of at least an acceleration of the agricultural vehicle, acurrent velocity of the agricultural vehicle, and a location, relativeto a terrain, of the agricultural vehicle where the agricultural vehicleexperienced the acceleration, and the second signal is indicative of atleast a target velocity or a route for the agricultural vehicle; a firstcontroller communicatively coupled to the first transceiver, wherein thefirst controller is configured to automatically control the agriculturalvehicle based at least in part on the second signal by instructing anautomated steering control system and an automated speed control systemto direct the agricultural vehicle according to the target velocity orthe route; a sensor communicatively coupled to the first controller,wherein the sensor is configured to detect the acceleration; a spatiallocating device communicatively coupled to the first controller, whereinthe spatial locating device is configured to obtain data indicative ofthe location and the current velocity of the agricultural vehicle; andthe base station, comprising: the second transceiver configured toreceive the first signal and send the second signal; a second controllercommunicatively coupled to the second transceiver, wherein the secondcontroller is configured to: determine a bump severity value based onthe acceleration and the current velocity of the agricultural vehicle,and to identify an area indicative of the bump within the terrain whenthe bump severity value exceeds a bump value threshold at the location,relative to the terrain, where the agricultural vehicle experienced theacceleration; and automatically generate the second signal indicative ofat least the target velocity or the route when the agricultural vehicleenters the area, wherein the target velocity is based on a proximity tothe bump, a severity of the bump, or some combination thereof.
 19. Theautonomous agricultural system of claim 18, wherein the secondcontroller is configured to: generate one or more visualizationsrepresenting a map of the terrain for display on a display, wherein thevisualizations comprise a two-dimensional map or a heat map, and thesecond controller uses line fitting, blob detection, or some combinationthereof to expand the area marked on the map.
 20. The autonomousagricultural system of claim 18, wherein the second controller isconfigured to generate a three-dimensional (3D) model representing themap of the terrain showing the area indicative of the bump based onvelocity changes of the spatial locating device that are notproportional with changes in an average velocity of the agriculturalvehicle.